On Wednesday 12th September 2018, IIFA hosted a dual celebration for both the Graduation Ceremony of the 2017 – 2018 IIFA FIATA Diploma Class Group and also marked the tenth anniversary of the FIATA Diploma in Freight Forwarding through IIFA. Previous Graduates were also in attendance on the night to proudly congratulate their industry Colleagues on their own success in a warm, relaxed atmosphere.

31 Participants from the 2017 – 2018 Class Group became FIATA Diploma Holders on the night, which also featured Guest Speakers from previous FIATA Diploma Class Groups. These Speakers, Gabbie White, Director, Global Logistics at Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Sinead Wheatley, Key Account Manager at Kuehne & Nagel Ireland Ltd., and Glen Warnock, CEO at Emerald Freight Express Ltd., shared their past experiences about where they were when they undertook the training, what further education has done for them and what their careers have been like since. These presentations were encouraging and inspiring stories to hear and are available to view via the IIFA website at this link;

IIFA President Bob Rainsford congratulated new Graduates and those previous Graduates who attended on the night to join in celebrating this tenth anniversary event. Reflecting on the past ten years, Bob commented that these Graduates are the future of the industry and time has certainly brought truth to those words. The list of IIFA FIATA Diploma Graduates includes individuals who have progressed to become owners of IIFA member companies, Managing Directors of MultiNationals, Logistic Managers, and others involved in specialised areas such as Customs & Trade Compliance Coordination. Other Graduates represented IIFA in the annual FIATA Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year competition and closer to home, IIFA has seen three Graduates become two Presidents and a Vice-President of IIFA.

Bob went on to congratulate IIFA Secretariat Seamus Kavanagh and Grainne Thornbury for their own work with having the Irish FIATA Diploma stand out among FIATA’s Global FIATA Diploma providers. Ireland was among the National Associations to offer this training online and was the first to deliver training internationally, to a US Marine based in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2016.

Another record was celebrated on the night with Philip Thornton of Wells Cargo Logistics Ltd. A 4th Year Student completing work experience in the industry over the past year, Philip’s interest in Freight Forwarding saw him undertake the full FIATA Diploma course as a project during his Transition Year in Secondary School. Bob commended Philip on this by remarking that “Successful completion of this course requires a significant level of self-discipline for the home study involved. In Philip’s case, the largest exam he ever faced was the Junior certificate so while completing and passing the course would be a great achievement, he went further, really put the work in and as testament to this, emerged with a Merit level FIATA Diploma qualification. In doing so, Philip has earned the accolade of being the Youngest FIATA Diploma Holder worldwide, a great personal success and a great success for Ireland.”

Since IIFA started this training with a classroom seminar on 25th November 2008 in the Grand Hotel in Malahide, the Association has evolved over the years to now offer a fully online training platform to every corner of our Country, adapting to the needs of those employed within our dynamic and demanding industry, while staying up to date with relevant industry procedures and regulations. The 31 Graduates from the 2017 – 2018 Class Group raised the number of FIATA Diplomas delivered through IIFA to 226. Combining this number with those previously delivered through FAS from the mid-90s until 2010 raises the number of Irish FIATA Diploma Qualifications to just under 600, a significant number in the presence of the global 14,000 FIATA Diplomas.

Bob Rainsford closed the event commenting that “We at the IIFA are committed to keeping our Members up to date with any new developments within the industry. Our focus is on Education and encouraging our Members to avail of the industry ready training we have to offer. It is very important that we as Freight Forwarders have the proper expertise to offer our Customers.”

With over 50 FIATA Diploma Graduates past and present in attendance on the night in addition to Guests, Attendees enjoyed a lively evening of networking and catching up with their Industry Colleagues and Friends.

IIFA looks forward to continue to offer the IIFA FIATA Diploma in Freight Forwarding to the Irish industry for years to come. The Association is grateful to Past Graduates Gabbie White, Sinead Wheatley and Glen Warnock for taking the time to prepare, present and share their own stories with their fellow Graduates. IIFA will now focus on its 24 strong Participants of the 2018 – 2019 IIFA FIATA Diploma in Freight Forwarding.

Press Release Ends

About Irish International Freight Association

Irish International Freight Association (IIFA) is the National Representative Body for the Irish Freight Forwarding service provider community. Run by a Council of elected representatives from its membership body, the Association’s overall aim is to ensure that the concerns of Members and their Clients are heard and acted upon. With 120 Members nationwide, IIFA members facilitate 90% of Ireland’s international trade.

IIFA as a recognised industry stake-holder maintains membership of a number of knowledgeable and influential Associations both at National and International level. IIFA is Ireland’s National Association Member of FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations, based in Zurich, Switzerland and is also a member of CLECAT, the European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services, based in Brussels, Belgium. Locally, Representatives from the IIFA Council sit upon Revenue’s Customs Consultative Committee and other relevant stakeholder groups, such as DTTAS’ recently formed BREXIT group.

About the IIFA FIATA Diploma course

IIFA supports the continuous improvement of the Irish Freight Industry by offering training with an Irish version of the internationally recognized FIATA Diploma in Freight Forwarding, a 10 module distance learning course that covers the cornerstones of the Freight, Logistics and Transport industry. Initial modules cover transport by Land, Air and Sea while later modules detail important background considerations such as Customs Clearance, Dangerous Goods and Insurance. This course is delivered online, with on-demand webinars and timed access to examinations and assignments. IIFA’s course material is validated by FIATA every four years. In September 2017, IIFA will launch a stand-alone Customs Awareness and Practical SAD completion course.

Further information on the IIFA FIATA Diploma course is available via: